Charities and CIC's

Thanks to PABBS, I am now accompanied by over seven and a half thousand voices that have been bereaved by suicide, and when I do the work that I do, that is a comfort to me. My training day with PABBS gave me insights I did not have, and resources I can draw upon, making me a better resource for the people I support. In the short time since the training I can tell you that those 7500 voices have already been heard by a university welfare team, dozens of bereavement volunteers and a collection of people who have found themselves in the club no one wanted to be in. But once you find yourself in that club, you realise you are desperately searching to connect with other members, so you can be heard and hear. I would recommend the training, for the knowledge, the opportunity to meet amazing facilitators, and the amazing attendees, who by association, are also members of that club. We all need to embrace that elephant and PABBS has given me the confidence and validation to do just that.

I have to say it was one of the most insightful and helpful training programs I have ever attended. It was presented extremely well and was in a relatable and easy-to-understand manner. As someone who has experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide, I found all the areas discussed to be key in understanding and navigating the complex emotions and challenges that come with bereavement. The training also provided me with valuable insights on self-care and setting boundaries within my professional role, which I found particularly helpful. I would highly recommend the training to anyone working within this field.

‘I found the training informative and appropriated the recommend reading as both have helped to fill any small gaps in my information or confidence and reassured me that what I have been doing is the right approach’. 

‘This training is essential for those supporting individuals through such difficult times. I learnt so much, and feel so much more confident to use the tools  in my practice’.

‘Thank you for a really powerful day of training led by Angela and Yinka, it was informative, provoking and authentic. I valued the opportunity to listen to people with lived experience deliver such comprehensive evidence based knowledge and insights. The training was well structured with sufficient moments in the day for us to share our response and experiences. It certainly developed my understanding of this complex and poignant issue in a practical and yet profound way’.

‘I found the training to be so valuable and so necessary.  Its a rare thing to be in a space where we as professionals can unpack the complexity of suicide and its impact on individuals and society at large. To be together as we wade through opinions, biases, fears and hopes in a mutually supportive and held training. What I found to be most powerful was the emphasis on raw and current statistics around suicide, and how sharing the personal impact of that data makes it more likely that we become agents of change. The training gave everyone space to speak from both  a personal and professional perspective about the impact of suicide ,  and to speak from the heart in a safe and compassion centred context’.

‘The PABBS training I recently attended was facilitated beautifully by Angela and Yinka. They created a safe space for members of the group to share personal and professional experiences of bereavement by suicide. Having recently started a role specifically relating to the topic the content was invaluable in growing my understanding of postvention support. The day was full, interactive, very reflective, and a real opportunity not only to learn but to network with other organisations in the local area. Cannot recommend highly enough. Thank you’.

The fact that both trainers bring their lived experience of how suicide affected them and their families made it easier for me to talk about my experience. I found the training very informative and it raised many questions for me. Coming from an ethnic minority community in Scotland we are as a community still not in a place where the issue of Suicide is discussed or even acknowledged. It also highlighted how much this kind training is needed for grassroots organisations that work with ethnic communities. I was only able to access this training through Edinburgh University Chaplaincy who funded the training.

Having recently joined an organisation focused on Bereavement by Suicide I was glad to be enrolled on the PABBS course. I have trained and worked in Bereavement both privately and as a volunteer. This course for me not only enhanced my learning but added to my confidence working in the Bereaved by Suicide sector. The course was delivered sensitively in a warm and friendly environment safely. The subject matter was clear and presented professionally by caring individuals. It was amazing to listen to others experiences and share the knowledge in the room. I would recommend anybody working in this sector to look at this course and understand the benefits.

After attending the PABBS training delivered in Edinburgh, I would like to say a huge thank you, it was a privilege to meet the team and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day. As well as learning from the evidence based information provided, it was so reassuring and positive to find the processes discussed current with the practices used. Albeit a very emotive day it was a pleasure meeting all in attendance and the delivery excellent. Once again thank you and all the team, wishing you every success in delivering the PABBS training to others in the future!

I recently attended the PABBS training. I would highly recommend it for any members of services or organisations that support people bereaved and affected by the suicide of another; especially those frontline services that encounter these tragic events and have to provide immediate support. The training benefits from being, as it proudly says, evidence based. That evidence, from national and international research, underpins all aspects of the training day. But the day also offered additional and important insights from the trainers’ own lived experience of being bereaved by suicide. That helped ‘ground’ and contextualise the theory and put real experience of surviving this loss at the centre of what presented and shared. We were asked at the outset what we hoped to get from the day. Mine was that my knowledge and understanding, and my practice in my role, was ‘right’ and still relevant. It confirmed that, but also gave me new insights and perspectives that were vital and valuable.

The training day was delivered expertly and the fact that it was delivered by people who have genuine lived experience of the needs of families by bereaved by suicide, means it was impossible not to learn and improve from the day. The resources provided were first rate and it was also encouraging to realise that we’re actually doing a lot right in our work with bereaved families.

I recently attended the PABBS training with Angela and Sharon and it was refreshing to be able to speak so openly on a subject matter that others may try to avoid. The day was well structured and the resources shared were exceptional. The day was well paced, engaging and Angela and Sharon set a suitable environment to ensure no question was a ‘silly question’ and welcomed them all to be asked. As an organisation, we were able to recognise what we do well, but also left us with ways to improve and with the confidence to do so.

‘I found it really important that the training was backed by research, so we could be sure that we were learning what people bereaved by suicide actually want from us as professionals. It was also incredibly valuable to receive the training from people with an absolute wealth of knowledge of the field, who were also warm human and responsive to the group’

“ Such a helpful day of training with PABBS. Two very experienced trainers presenting from a place of lived experience coupled with a wealth of research experience – a very powerful combination. Informative, engaging and insightful. Highly recommended”

It was a pleasure to meet you and Angela during the PABBS Training in Belfast on 6th December 2021. […]  I had previously attended some of your zoom-based training [ON THE GO modules] so was looking forward to this particular[PABBS] training opportunity as I believed it would be a valuable opportunity for me and I was not disappointed.

I look forward to undertaking additional training with you in the future.

I would recommend [PABBS] training course to anyone who is going to come across people bereaved by suicide either in their personal or professional life.

The main thing I took away was the extent of the impact of one suicide is catastrophic. So much bigger than I thought before.

This is a brilliant course, inspiring and invigorating.  It has elements of everything from reflection, reviewing, renewing thoughts, ideas and practice within a practical, interactive and safe environment.  There are opportunities to engage, liaise and learn from others.  I loved it and it flew by.  I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone working in any area of suicide bereavement, prevention and postvention settings!  Thank you Sharon and Angela for the passion, knowledge and skills you have passed on during this session!

‘A really worthwhile day focusing on a wide range of topics all relevant to my new role as a support worker. The course team were very welcoming and supportive which I personally found helped me get as much as I could from the training’.